A bad week at the (box) office for Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner’s four-part western, Horizon: An American Saga, made a disappointing box-office debut with $11 million for its first installment, despite a stellar cast including Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Luke Wilson.

Costner, who co-wrote and directed the film, is also the lead actor.

The film has become one of Hollywood’s most talked-about projects thanks to the former Yellowstone star’s $38 million investment. Costner has budgeted a total of $100 million for the series.

The financial risk has not gone unmentioned in Hollywood as Costner has taken drastic measures, including mortgaging ten acres of his Santa Barbara property.

Kevin Costner’s #Horizon got off to a poor start at the box office. Star Michael Rooker says “it’s real cinema, folks. We ain’t used to that sh*t.”

“[Audiences] got to get over that [TikTok] crap. They got to learn how to watch real cinema, please.” https://t.co/Wrjw4lfSYb

— Variety (@Variety) July 3, 2024

The film Horizon was clearly not appreciated. The film was widely criticized.

For its part, Entertainment Weekly described the three-hour film as boring, and RottenTomatoes agreed.

Costner continues to work on the sequel despite the negative reviews. The second chapter of Horizon will be released on August 16. Costner is already shooting for the third installment, but financial details are still uncertain.

Warner Bros. is distributing the first two films, but has not yet committed to the third.

Costner’s team remains optimistic about the film’s long-term success, particularly in the home entertainment and video-on-demand markets, where it could recoup some of the investment costs.

Costner remains undaunted by this rocky start and urges audiences to “give Horizon a chance”, while emphasizing the depth and originality of the film’s story.